This article is based on a presentation made during the Data Privacy Asia 2016 conference held on 9-11 November 2016. The new EU General Data Protection Regulation aims to implement uniform data protection rules within the EU, boost the Digital Single Market and increase cooperation across its member states. The current rules have been sharpened to provide more enforcement teeth with penalties up to 4% of annual global turnover or EUR 20 million for firms in breach with the GDPR. In this article Héloïse Bock, a Partner at Arendt & Medernach, a law firm located in Luxembourg, examines the core principles and applicability of the GDPR, and discusses what companies in Asia must do to avoid missteps.